| Subject: RE: Drop Foot |
Author: Bernie Secoura
Date: 11/22/2004 6:39 pm PDT
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julie wing wrote:
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Hi,
I had knee surgery this past weekend-- arthroscopy to repair cartilege. My knee's real solid and feels good. However the foot on that same side doesn't seem to bend upwards. I can get the foot to about 90 degrees. Over the weekend my toes wouldn't move either, but I can now bend them up slightly, near the other foot. Anyway, I went into the doctor today and they said it's probably a peroneal nerver problem. He felt around the backside of my nee and I had tingling down through my foot. He said this indicated that the nerve was intact and that it will just take longer to recover. Then he started talking about braces and mentioned the term 'foot drop'.
So I am wondering if anyone else has had foot drop in a related situation. Can you tell me your experience? Are you recovered, how long did it take, did any therapy work for you, etc? Apreciate the input.
Thanks, julie
DISCLAIMER:
THE FOLLOWING IS OFFERED AS GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY, AND MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONER'S PROBLEM. IT IS NOT BASED ON ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE OR EXAMINATION OF THE QUESTIONER AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS DEFINITIVE MEDICAL OPINION. ONLY THROUGH HANDS ON PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH PATIENTS CAN ACCURATE MEDICAL ADVICE BE GIVEN. NO DOCTOR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP IS CREATED OR ESTABLISHED OR MAY BE INFERRED. THE QUESTIONER SHOULD CONTACT HIS OR HER OWN DOCTOR BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS FORTHCOMING HEREIN.
The Peroneal Nerve passes along the lateral aspect (outside) of the knee. It supplies motor control to the muscles on anterior-lateral compartment of the lower leg, including the Tibialis Anterior muscle, which functions, in part, to dorsiflex the foot(toes toward nose). It also supplies sensation to portions of the top of the foot. A drop foot is a palsy of this nerve and resulting weakness or paralysis of the motor fibers which it innervates, resulting in varying degrees of inability in moving the foot in the upward direction.
Although there may be other causes of this condition (notably, when employed, an overly tight application of a cast and/or excessive post-surgical swelling under a cast), injury to the Peroneal Nerve may be an infrequent iatrogenic (doctor-caused) complication of arthroscopic knee surgery . . especially meniscus repair. Several factors have been identified as potentially causative. They include passing sutures through the nerve, excessive tension being placed on the nerve during the procedure, generally by faulty retraction, and entrapment or binding down of the nerve, to name a few.
An nerve conduction study may be helpful in assessing the degree of nerve function which is likely to return after possible injury such as described above.
As a ballpark figure, whatever function has not returned within a two year period is probably unikely to ever return. But your condition may be such that a much more rapid and perhaps even a full recovery may take place.
The brace your doctor was referring to is one which is spring loaded at the ankle, and passively pulls the foot upward in the swing phase of gait so that the forefoot is able to adequately clear the walking surface.
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julie wing |
11/22/2004 3:29 pm PDT |
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Bernie Secoura |
11/22/2004 6:39 pm PDT |
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julie wing |
11/23/2004 10:09 pm PDT |
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Bernie Secoura |
11/24/2004 6:12 am PDT |
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Bernie Secoura |
11/24/2004 6:12 am PDT |
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Bernie Secoura |
11/24/2004 6:20 am PDT |
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Ellie |
11/29/2004 8:59 am PDT |
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Ellie |
11/29/2004 9:00 am PDT |
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Ellie |
11/29/2004 9:00 am PDT |
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